‘Dancing with the Stars 21’: Kim Zolciak, Tony Dovolani lobby for show return

On Monday night’s new episode of “Dancing with the Stars,” host Tom Bergeron and ABC subsequently cited show rules as the reason for Kim Zolciak’s elimination from the show. The precedent here is that unless you are able to present some sort of performance for the voting public, you have to be sent home. We have seen someone compete before using dress rehearsal footage, but Kim was unable to provide that after her doctors did not clear her to travel.

While the rules may be the rules, Kim is certainly not going quietly into the night … and the same goes for her partner Tony Dovolani. She has retweeted a number of people proclaiming that she should be brought back, and Tony told People Magazine the following at the taping Monday:

“I’m very proud of Kim. She improved every week. This was such an unfortunate thing. Listen, she was in the hospital for three days and still came in on Saturday and learned the dance in an hour and a half. We were prepared to dance, just that they hadn’t cleared her to fly yet. That’s the reason why she’s not here.”

Is this the end of the reality star’s time in the competition? At the moment, we have to say that it is not looking particularly great. We cannot see the show turning things around for her on a dime, mostly because it does set a precedent that future contestants could also lobby for a return. It’s sad for her because it sounds like she really wanted to be there, but there is always a silver lining for her: She could come back for the season finale and proved just how much she has improved. We certainly think that Tony would be willing to continue to train her to be the best dancer she could be in the interim.

For more on “Dancing with the Stars,” head over here to read our review of Monday night’s show and vote for your favorite performer! Also, dance over here to get some other TV news sent right to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ABC.)